This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-395291, filed Dec. 26, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an application terminal for processing a portable electronic device such as an IC card used for providing various services, also to a processing system using the application terminal for processing the portable electronic device, and to a method for processing the portable electronic device.
Currently available application terminals of this type (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cIC card terminal devicesxe2x80x9d) have only a predetermined function, and execute processing only when the IC card inserted therein is suitable for the function. On the other hand, in recent years, IC cards each have come to be provided with a plurality of functions, and therefore to demand an IC card terminal device for each function thereof.
To meet this demand, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 9-259239 discloses an IC card terminal device for processing IC cards having a plurality of functions. This device has a plurality of applications and executes selected processing on IC cards corresponding to the applications.
Although this IC card terminal device can execute the predetermined plurality of applications, it cannot process an IC card having a function (application) that is not included in them.
In light of, for example, the memory capacity, it is difficult to provide an IC card terminal device with all applications. Further, the installation of a large-capacity memory in the terminal device makes it expensive. Accordingly, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of IC card terminal devices each having selected applications. As a result, the owner of an IC card has to find an IC card terminal device that corresponds to their requested application.
It is the object of the invention to provide a terminal device capable of executing various processes corresponding to different purposes, a system for processing various types of portable electronic devices, and a method for processing the portable electronic devices.
In order to achieve the object, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a terminal device for processing a portable electronic device having at least one function, comprising: reading means for reading the function from the portable electric device; determination means for determining whether or not the terminal device has an application corresponding to the function read by the reading means; first execution means for executing the application if the determination means determines that the terminal device has the application; download means for downloading the application from an external apparatus connected to the terminal device if the determination means determines that the terminal device does not have the application; and second execution means for executing the application downloaded by the download means.
The terminal device of the invention further comprises selection means for selecting a desired one of a plurality of functions when the reading means has read the plurality of functions from the portable electronic device, and wherein the termination means determines whether or not the terminal device has an application corresponding to the desired function selected by the selection means.
In other words, if the terminal device does not have an application for executing the function of the IC card inserted therein, it downloads the application from an external apparatus via a telephone line or the Internet, etc. The terminal device processes the function by executing the downloaded application.
Further, when the IC card inserted in the terminal device has a plurality of functions, the terminal device displays the functions and the card user selects a desired one of the functions. If the terminal device does not have an application for executing the selected function, it downloads the application from an external apparatus via a telephone line or the Internet, etc.
When downloading the application, the terminal device transmits a download request to the external apparatus. Upon receiving the download request, the external apparatus supplies the IC card via the terminal device with a confirmation request that contains information for confirming whether or not the IC card is valid. The IC card, in turn, processes the information contained in the confirmation request, and transmits the process result to the external apparatus via the terminal device. The external apparatus judges the validity of the IC card on the basis of the process result. If the IC card is determined valid, the external apparatus allows the terminal device to download the application.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.